When National University of Health Sciences–Florida established its relationship with St. Petersburg College in 2009, it became the first chiropractic medicine program in the country to develop a partnership with a public college.

With an increasing number of people seeking to avoid surgery or potentially addictive drug treatments for their chronic pain, chiropractic physicians are filling the need for alternatives to conventional types of pain management.

When Danielle Potter-Bodenlos graduated from the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) Doctor of Chiropractic program, her dream was to have her own practice. So she naturally sought the advice of her father, Robert Potter, DC, who graduated 26 years earlier, when it was known as National College of Chiropractic, and had built a successful practice in Canton, MI.

You never know what might happen during lunch at National University of Health Sciences’ Florida site when much of the student body and faculty come together for unique panel presentations.

When searching for the right school for your chiropractic education, it’s important to consider what will set you apart from the competition in terms of employment and, more importantly, what will benefit your future patients.

Before starting the naturopathic and chiropractic medicine programs at NUHS, I was initially a pre-med major preparing to become a traditional medical doctor. At the time, I wasn't sure I wanted to work in a hospital setting or if I liked the largely drug-based practice style that a lot of doctors had.

In practice, the concept of chiropractic care for children is not new; however, it may be a new concept for many adults. Why would children need chiropractic care, you may ask? Chiropractic physicians (DCs) offer techniques and treatments that pediatricians do not. In many instances, DCs can offer less invasive options first, before referring patients to prescriptions and surgery.

The central nervous system controls everything. The birth process itself can be physically traumatic, and for some infants, receiving adjustment can offer neurological input or correction from the start, allowing a healthy developmental process to unfold. Later, as young athletes develop, recovering from injuries sustained by participating in sports may be treated with less traumatic chiropractic solutions, rather than more disruptive therapies such as pharmaceuticals or surgery.

Because chiropractic medicine takes into account the entire person, when there is a correction in one area, it can help support and correct another area. Depending on which DC you choose, many incorporate other techniques and specialties such as acupuncture, craniosacral, nutrition and more.

Here are 4 ways chiropractic medicine can benefit children.

I am often asked by prospective students why they should choose National University's Doctor of Chiropractic medicine program over other chiropractic educational institutions. My answer has evolved through the years, but I do not waiver in believing NUHS is the best education available.

During school, I would have answered the question based off the culture of the school and classes I had maneuvered through. Immediately after school, I would have answered by focusing on the rigor of the overall education. But now, as a few years have passed, and I have been able to compare my knowledge base to my colleagues, I value other parts of my education.

Here are the fundamental parts of my education that make me most proud of being a National University of Health Sciences graduate:

It’s said that “hindsight is 20/20”. While this may be applied to many areas of life, if you are considering a medical career or are currently a medical student, learning what professionals already working in the field would do differently may not just save you time, but also valuable financial resources.

Read on to learn what practicing chiropractic physician, Alex Tauberg, a successful 2016 National University alumnus, has to say about the things he would go back and change if he could while he was still a student working towards becoming a chiropractic physician.

Today’s young athletes work harder, longer hours, and push through injury more than ever before.

Traveling sports start at a younger age, which usually means more practices per week and tournaments multiple weekends per month. Tee ball starts by age 4. Travel baseball and football begins by age 8. Kids committing to one sport, also called specializing, is seen by middle school.